Rotary engine.



N0. 7||,354. Patented Oct. I4, |902.

C. E. SHUMWAY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1902.3

(N o M o d e l /I//l/l IIII W/TNESSES /N VE NTQI? W* Ma.

lpocket is a steam packing-block 9.

UN iTED STATES CHARLES E. SHUMVVAY,

OF ALBION, MICHIGAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,354, dated October14, 1902.

Application led January 30, 1902.

T0 all whom it ntcty con/cern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. SHUMWAY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Albion, in the county of Calhoun and State ofMichigan, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in rotary engines operated bysteam-pressure; and the object is to provide an engine of simpleconstruction and having no parts liable to get out of order.

I will describe a rotary engine embodying my invention, and then pointout the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the gures.

Figure l is a sectional elevation of a rotary engine embodying myinvention, and Fig. 2 is a section on the line of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the engine-cylinder, supportedon a suitable base 2, and having bearings in the side wall of thecylinder is the driving-shaft 3, having beltwheels 4 5 on one end.Mounted on the shaft within the cylinder is the piston 6, having itsopposite peripheral portions extended eccentrically with the shaft,forming steam-pockets 7 8, and at the abutment end of each steam- At itsopposite sides the pistou is provided with annular iianges 9, providedwith packing-rings 9b, which form steam-tight joints between the pistonand cylinder, as the flanges form the side walls of the pockets. Asteam-chest 10 communicates with the interior of the cylinder through aport 11, and the exhaust is through a port 12, here shown as in the baseof the engine. Movable in the steam-chest 10 for controlling the inletof steam through the port 1I is a slide-valve 13, the stem 14 of whichextends outward through a wall of the steam-chest and connects with anactuatinglever 15, pivoted to a stud 16 on the cylinder. The lower endof this lever is designed to be engaged by a part carried by the shaft 3for moving the valve 13 in a direction to open the port 11.

As here shown, the lower end of the lever 15 is provided with anadjustable tappet 17,

Serial No. 91.860. (No model.)

which may be in the form of a screw and adapted to engage withy each oneot' the camshaped lugs 18 on the opposite sides of the shaft. These lugsmay be connected directly to the shaft or they may be connected to thehub portion of a cam-wheel 19, attached to the shaft. Obviously when alug 1S engages with the tappet 17 the lever will be drawn in a directionto move the valve to open position, and when aV lug releases the tappetsprings are provided for moving the valve to closed position. I havehere shown a drawing-spring 20 between the cylinder and the upperportion of the lever and a pushingspring 21 arranged between thecylinder and the lower portion of the lever.

An abutment-block 22 is movable into and out of the cylinder to engageon the peripheryof the piston. This abutment may slide in a guideway 23,formed in a wall of the steam-chest, and its stem 24 extends upwardthrough a stuffing-box in the top wall of the steam-chest and connectswith a horizontallydisposed portion 25 of a lifting-rod 26, movable inguides 27 on the cylinder and having at its lower end a lug 28, whichengages in the cam-groove 29 of the cam-wheel 19.

In operation steam is admitted to the steamchest above the slide-valvethrough a pipe 30. When a cam-lug 18 engages with the lower portion ofthe lever 15, as before described, the valve 13 will be moved to openthe port 1l, and as the steam passes through said port the valve will beimmediately closed by means of the springs connecting with the lever.Then the steam will act by expansion against the abutment 22, which ofcourse is positively moved downward to engagement with the periphery ofthe pistonby means of the camwheel and against the end wall 31 of apocket in the piston. While the steam is operating in one pocket theexhaust will take place from the other pocket through the port 12.

lt may be here stated that while I have shown but two pockets forreceiving the steam a greater number may be formed. In

such case, however, the cam-slot 29 will be differently arranged tooperate the abutment 22 at the proper times, as will also be changed thenumber of cam-lugs 18 for operating the slide-valve.

Having thus described my invention, I

IOO

'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters a shaft extended throughthe cylinder, a piston mounted on said shaft within the cylinder andhaving steam-pockets, a steam-chest communicating with the cylinder, aslidevalve for controlling said communication, a stem extended from saidslide-valve through a wall of the steam-chest, a lever having connectionwith said stem, a tappet on the other end of said lever, cam-lugscarried by the shaft for engaging with said tappet, and an abutmentmovable into and out of the cylinder, substantially as specified.

2. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a shaft extended through thecylinder, a piston mounted on said shaft within the cylinder and havingeccentric peripheral portions forming steam-pockets, packing-blocks atthe abutment ends of said pockets, a steam-chest communicating with thecylinder, a slidevalve for controlling said communication, a stemextended from said slide-valve through a Wall of the steam-chest, alever having connection with said stem, an adjustable tappet on theother end of said lever, cam-lugs carried by the shaft for engaging withsaid tappet, a spring for rocking the lever in one direction, and anabutment movable into and 3o out of the cylinder, substantially asspecied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES E. SHUMWAY. Witnesses:

JNO. M. RITTER, C. R. FERGUSON.l

